The Guardians: Key of Destruction
by DepartingSorrows
Summary: REWRITE! Prt. II of III. When an ancient power returns, the worlds are in danger of destruction, and the secrets of a forgotten war are revealed. Destiny has never been too cruel to the Keyblade bearers, until now... Sokai, RikuXOC, Axel/LeaXOC. On indefinite hiatus, sorry...
1. The Return of Darkness

_**Author's Note**_**: Here's the re-write of **_**Key of Destruction**_**!... I hope it was worth the wait…**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do NOT own Kingdom Hearts. It is owned by Square Enix, Disney, and Tetsuya Nomura.**

_**Claimer**_**: I DO own this fan-fiction, the OC's, original worlds, and the plot. Please do not use any of them without my consent. **

**And a very big thank you to my wonderful beta reader, Wings of Avalon!**

**Enjoy the story! :D**

_-TG:KoD-_

**Chapter One:**

**The Return of Darkness**

There was only one way to describe the scene before her: complete and utter pandemonium. Hikari ran through the crowds of panicked people, her mind trained on finding her twin brother, Hikaru. In all her sixteen years of life, Hikari had never seen chaos, but now, experiencing it firsthand, it frightened her. She had to fight down the urge to help the people as she passed by them. Preserving the peace and happiness of the people was what she lived for, so seeing them in such disarray made Hikari feel extremely guilty. She had to keep telling herself that their distress was not her fault; it was the fault of the attacking Darklings.

Hikari looked up from the cobblestone road, her ice blue eyes finding the castle in the black fog that had settled over the town. She took solace in seeing the white heart shaped moon that was still in the sky directly above the castle. The gothic style castle had to have been thousands of years old, but its pristine white stone had been kept beautiful ever since it was first built. Only now, in the dark haze that seemed to be swallowing the world, the castle looked grayed and ugly. But the heart shaped moon above the castle still shone its brilliant light, the darkness not at all eclipsing it.

Hikari had to bring her attention back to the ground as she almost tripped on the hem of her white corset styled gown. She had long since discarded her white heeled shoes because it was too hard to run in them. Her raven black hair had been pulled up into an elegant bun, decorated with pearls, but in her haste her hair had escaped from the confines of the bun which now loosely flowed midway down her back.

The girl couldn't brush off the feeling that someone was waiting for her. Someone dark. Someone she hoped she would never meet. Ever since the attack, the attack that caused the swarming darkness, she had felt like someone was calling to her. Challenging her. The challenger was dark, that much was obvious, and they were probably the same person who started the attack. There was only one person who could unleash this much darkness in so little time, but he had been locked away inside Kingdom Hearts one thousand years ago. There was no way he would be able to do this from his prison, assuming he was still _in_ it. The thought that he would escape frightened Hikari. All the worlds would be in grave danger if he had. That's why she had to find her brother, he would know if he escaped. Hikaru knew _everything_. It was one of the perks of being king of Keepers Kingdom.

Hikari was now near the castle gates, which led into the courtyard. The gates were wide open, allowing the throngs of panicked people to pour into it, into the protection of the castle. Hikari was about to enter, when a sort of psychotic cackling echoed in her thoughts.

She stopped dead in her tracks, a horrified expression on her face. No one else seemed to have heard it.

"What?" She whispered, before the voice pierced her mind again.

_Why don't we play a little game? If you win, I'll tell you something interesting. _

"Who are you?" Hikari hissed. She knew she wasn't just hearing things; someone was calling to her.

_Ah__, it wouldn't be a game if I told you now, would it?_ the voice teased.

Hikari gritted her teeth. "What is this 'game'?"

_It is really quite simple. You find me before time runs out. And don't worry: I'm staying in one place. _The voice cackled again. _If you follow your intuition, you should finish quickly. You have five minutes. _

Then the voice was gone, replaced by a strange pulling sensation on her mind. So now she just ran blindly, letting her mind guide her to whomever -_whatever_- was calling her. She knew it was probably going to be a horrible trap, seeing as the thing calling to her was of pure darkness, but at the moment, she really didn't care. She just wanted to know what was going on.

Hikari pushed her way through the crowds of frightened people, stumbling occasionally, but she managed to work her way to the castle's entrance. She pushed open the wonderfully crafted double doors, not sparing a single moment as she continued to follow the strange pull in her mind. She dashed through the stately halls; her familiarity with the castle's winding maze of corridors only helped her haste.

The sense of guidance in her head led her to a door that brought her to a rarely used tower. Hikari hesitated a moment, her face laced with uncertainty, but she forced all feelings of cowardice deep into her heart, replacing it with an expression of confidence and bravery. She didn't care if she was walking into a trap, where no one knew where she was and certainly wouldn't be able to help her if things turned for the worst.

She really didn't care.

Without a second thought, Hikari threw the old wooden door open and started to ascend the winding stone steps in a fast, but steady, pace.

When she reached the top Hikari looked around, noticing that the pull in her mind had vanished. She was in the right place, but where was her challenger? Looking around again, Hikari took note of the room's features. The room was fairly large, and perfectly round, and there was no ceiling, only the tipped wooden roof, the multiple support beams making a fitting home for birds. There was a small balcony to her left, offering a perfect view of the heart shaped moon in the hazy, dark sky. The room was empty, save for a few rotting crates.

Hikari moved forward slowly, uncertain. She continued to take small steps until she was in the center of the tower, looking around once more. "Hello?"

"Ah, Princess Hikari Akira Kami, I thought you would _never _speak."

Hikari jumped at the sudden voice, hearing the malice it carried. She quickly spun around, just in time to see a man emerge from the shadows. Upon seeing the man, a shiver ran up her spine. His entire being was teeming with pure darkness. It was apparent that there wasn't a single speck of light within him. Hikari was certain who he was before he even said his name. He was Hikari's complete opposite, as her being carried only light. He had escaped his prison, and the worlds were doomed.

"Kuragari…"

Kuragari was a frightening looking man, appearing to be thirty years old; his cold, glowing red eyes being his creepiest feature. His skin was sickly pale, like he had never seen the sun. His long hair was white, his bangs hanging in parts of his face. He wore a black leather coat, the hem billowing to his ankles, the collar flipped up to brush against his cheek, and it was left open to expose his well toned chest and stomach. Around his waist was a black leather belt with a white skull buckle. His pants were a deep black and tucked into a pair of black boots with white trim.

Kuragari smiled a sick, twisted smile that made Hikari take a step back in unease. This man was a psychopath if there ever was one.

"Did you enjoy our game?" Kuragari asked, his twisted smile widening. "You won, so I assume you did. Hmm, Hikari?"

Hikari clenched her fists in anger. "Just tell me what it is you want."

"That should be quite obvious." Kuragari started walking toward Hikari, so she quickly stepped aside, watching as Kuragari continued toward the balcony, ogling at the heart shaped moon. "I want Kingdom Hearts."

Hikari felt her heart freeze in fear, her entire body going ridged from shock. The situation had just gone in a totally catastrophic direction.

"With it I can exact my revenge." Kuragari turned toward Hikari, his face unreadable, but his red eyes seemed to be filled with pain, like an extreme sorrow that still plagued his memory. Seeing that, Hikari suddenly felt like there was a reason for his antics, that they weren't just blind madness. But what that reason was, Hikari hadn't the slightest clue.

"Revenge for what?" Hikari couldn't help but ask. She was curious.

Kuragari smirked, and then turned his attention back to Kingdom Hearts, "All in good time, Hikari." He raised his hand, palm facing toward Kingdom Hearts. A black orb formed in his palm, gaining energy until it was bigger than his hand, then he launched it right at Kingdom Hearts. The dark orb started swarming around Kingdom Hearts, and Hikari realized what that orb was doing.

"NO!" she yelled, wisps of light gathering around her hand, forming what looked like a key-shaped sword. When the light cleared, Hikari held a dazzling Keyblade. The blade was thin – able to slice through just about anything, probably – it was a shining white gold, and at the tip of the blade was a white gold heart. The hilt was in the shape of a heart, thick in the part where the heart curved and thin at the tip of the heart, and it was a beautiful yellow gold. The blade sprouted from between the curves of the heart, and the keychain hung from the tip of the heart, composed of a white gold chain and a diamond heart at the end.

Not wasting a moment, Hikari gripped the handle with both hands and charged for Kuragari. Apparently, the man was ready for this, as he reacted quickly. With his free hand, Kuragari aimed at Hikari, and swinging his hand in a wide arc, black flames erupted from Kuragari's fingers and flew toward Hikari. Hikari brought her Keyblade up to protect herself from the flames, not slowing down. Her blade sliced through the fire, creating a large V, but Hikari wasn't able to withstand the force of the attack. She was thrown backwards, hitting the stone wall, her head snapped against it causing her to cry out in pain. Hikari slid to the floor, lying in a crumpled heap, her Keyblade disappearing in a shower of light.

Hikari tried to blink away the blurriness in her eyes, but she was failing miserably. She could just barely make out Kuragari's dark silhouette on the balcony, watching as Kingdom Hearts disappeared in a portal of darkness.

Hikari made a whimper of dismay, knowing that there was nothing she could do.

Kuragari turned to Hikari, looking smug. He strode over to the fallen girl, kneeling next to her and brushing a few strands of black hair from her face. He gazed into her foggy ice blue eyes, smirking. "This is where the real game begins, Hikari, and I plan on winning."

Hikari moaned brokenly as her consciousness started to give way, her vision steadily darkening, trying to pull her into the blissful realm of sleep. The last thing Hikari saw before losing consciousness was Kuragari vanish into a Corridor of Darkness, then all went black.

_**-TG:KoD-**_

When Hikari woke, she was aware of one thing only: her head hurt like hell. She groaned, trying to sit up, only to have someone gently push her back down onto the bed she was in and tell her something in a hushed voice. Opening her eyes, Hikari's vision swam in and out of focus for a moment, clearing to reveal her twin brother's concerned face hovering over her.

"Hikaru…?" Hikari whispered groggily.

Hikaru smiled, lighting up his ice blue eyes. His raven black hair was slicked back to better reveal his eyes. Normally Hikaru would've been wearing his crown, but he never did in the presence of his beloved sister. It was a way of showing that even though Hikaru was the king, he was first and foremost Hikari's twin brother and nothing as trivial as a high court position could come between their bond.

"Are you alright?" Hikaru asked.

Hikari nodded, wincing from the sharp pain that coursed through her head. Seeing his sister's pain, Hikaru pulled out a blue bottle, and taking great care, he lifted Hikari's head into a drinkable position and leveled the rim of the bottle to her lips and coaxed her into drinking before tipping it, letting the liquid run into her mouth. The bottle's contents trickled down Hikari's throat, the bitter taste causing her to wrinkle her nose and cough slightly, but soon she felt a refreshing cool sweep through her body, reducing the sharp pain in her head to a bearable throb.

Hikaru took the bottle and placed it on a bedside table, then helped his twin sit up. Hikari leaned against the head board, a large, fluffy pillow cushioning her back. After confirming that she was in her own bedroom, Hikari looked down at her lap to finger the blanket covering her. She noticed that someone had changed her into a white nightgown, and she cocked her eyebrow. She wasn't surprised. It was just a little weird to think that someone had changed her while she was unconscious.

"The guards found you unconscious in the high tower. What exactly were you doing up there?" Hikaru asked as he sat on the side of the bed, facing his sister. "…Did you see what happened to Kingdom Hearts?" he added as an afterthought.

By the look on Hikaru's face, Hikari knew that he was dying to know what had happened. She had no idea how he would take to the knowledge that Kuragari had escaped and taken Kingdom Hearts, but he had to know. Taking a deep breath, she told him. "Kuragari escaped with the Darklings and he took Kingdom Hearts."

Hikaru stiffened, clenching his teeth. She had been blunt, yes, but at least now he knew.

"How is that even possible?" Hikaru whispered, seething. "He's been imprisoned in Kingdom Hearts for one thousand years. He should not have been able to escape!"

"He said he wanted revenge, and I'm guessing that his determination is what gave him the strength to break out." Hikari said. "Revenge is a very powerful feeling, especially for someone with as black a heart as him."

"Well, what are we going to do about this? You've heard the stories about him. He's insane. He isn't going to listen to reason."

Hikari thought about that for a moment. It was true; Kuragari was known to be a warped and sadistic maniac – you never knew what he was thinking until it was too late. Hikari thought back to that sad, empty expression in his eyes. She knew that Kuragari was dead set on getting his revenge, whatever it was for, and he wasn't going to rest until he was satisfied.

"Hikaru, I don't think there is way to reason with him." Hikari said. "The only thing we can do is destroy him or imprison him again, and I have to do it soon. Very soon."

Hikaru looked up, a questioning look on his face. "But, Hikari…"

"I know the risks, and I'm willing to take them." Hikari said, determination lacing her voice. "I can't just sit here knowing that he's out there, Hikaru, I just can't."

"…What are you planning to do?" Hikaru asked hesitantly. He really didn't want his sister to leave the safety of their home world, fearing that she would never come back, but he knew that countless people would suffer if she stayed. He was torn between keeping his sister safe or keeping the worlds safe. Couldn't she just let the Keyblade bearers take care of it? They had done so well the last two times… that was a selfish thought, but Hikaru just wanted Hikari to be safe.

Hikari tilted her head back to look at the ceiling, trying to think of what to do. She couldn't just go by herself, that would be suicide, plus Hikaru would never let her go alone. She _could_ bring a few guards with her… no, no that would never work… she needed someone who was used to fighting massive amounts of darkness, someone who was unconditionally loyal to the light, someone who knew the worlds… someone who wielded a Keyblade.

"The Keyblade bearers…" Hikari whispered.

"What?"

"Hikaru, I need to get the help of the Keyblade bearers!"

_**-TG:KoD-**_

Hikari shut the door to her room, taking a deep breath as she started walking down the grand hall. It had been an hour since Hikari convinced her brother to let her go to Destiny Islands, and in that hour she had prepared herself for her adventure. She had changed into more suitable attire, as well. Hikari now wore a white halter-top, tan shorts, and white sneakers. It was a simple outfit, but Hikari wasn't one for complexity, so it suited her just fine.

Hikari twirled a few strands of her raven black hair in her fingers, feeling a bit odd not having it up. She had contemplated pulling it up into a messy bun, but she decided to leave it down. It felt more natural.

She heard soft footsteps following her, then an equally soft and wise voice spoke her name. "Hikari."

Hikari turn to find an elderly woman standing behind her, a kind, knowing smile on her aged face. Hikari recognized her immediately.

"Grandmother." Hikari smiled, her love for the woman saturating her voice.

Himiko Kami was a tall woman, her old age not at all hindering her posture – though she did possess a walking cane. Her once golden blond hair had completely grayed; nevertheless, it still shined radiantly. Her green eyes seemed to hold a deep wisdom, which was to be expected from a former queen. All in all, Himiko was an odd mixture of wisdom and elegance.

"Hikari, how is your head feeling?" Himiko took a few carefully placed steps toward Hikari and laid her wrinkled hand atop her head, feeling for any bumps.

"I'm fine, Grandmother. It doesn't hurt anymore."

"Oh, well that's good." Himiko removed her hand, her smile never faltering, and reached into a pouch around her thin waist. "There is something I want to give you." After rummaging a little, Himiko pulled something out and cupped it in her hands, not allowing Hikari to see it. "This belonged to your mother… she wanted you to have it. I was just waiting for the perfect moment to give it to you. What better time than going on your first adventure, hmm?"

Himiko uncovered the object, revealing it to be a diamond necklace, the diamond cut into the shape of a heart and the chain a beautiful white gold. Hikari gazed at the necklace, reaching a hand out to touch it, but Himiko motioned for her to turn around. "Now, let me put it on you."

Hikari nodded, turning so her back was to her grandmother. Hikari moved her hair up so Himiko could latch the necklace around her neck, letting her long hair drop when she felt its unfamiliar weight hang from her neck. Hikari wrapped her fingers around the diamond heart, lifting it to her eye level, letting the light from a nearby arch window hit it, making the precious stone sparkle. Hikari felt a small, solemn smile form on her lips. She barely remembered her mother, as she was very little when her mother and father died, but, strangely enough, she never felt like they were gone. Maybe it was because she was too young to understand the concept of death, or maybe it was because she hadn't yet grasped the fact that she was never going to see her parents again.

Himiko noticed a few tears sliding from Hikari's eyes, so she embraced her granddaughter lovingly. "Your parents loved you, Hikari. Never forget that. They will always protect you and give you guidance." Himiko pulled away from Hikari, keeping her hands on the girl's shoulders. She wiped away Hikari's tears with her thumb, smiling encouragingly at her granddaughter. "But I highly doubt you need it."

"Thank you…" Hikari's voice was small, barely above a whisper, but the two uttered words were filled with emotion.

Himiko cupped Hikari's cheek, bringing the girl's head up so she could see her face. "Now, I think it's time we got going. You will want plenty of time to say goodbye to your brother."

Hikari nodded, and turning around, she started walking down the corridor. Himiko stood with a solemn expression. She knew the perils her granddaughter was about to face, but she was forbidden to tell her. She could only hope that Hikari and the Keyblade bearers would be able to overcome the darkness…but even then, the survival of everyone wasn't foreseen. There was always heartache in the end.

"Be very careful…"

Hikari stopped, having heard her grandmother's uttered words. She didn't turn around. She didn't want to see the worry that was expressed in Himiko's eyes. "I will… I promise…" Hikari whispered, then ran the rest of the way down the hall, disappearing around the corner, leaving Himiko behind.

Hikari didn't stop running until she was near the castle entrance. Hikari leaned over, placing her palms on her knees to catch her breath. After a moment of harsh breathing, Hikari stood upright. She gazed through the open double oak doors, seeing Hikaru and some guards in the courtyard, waiting for her. Hikari looked down at the diamond heart lying innocently on her chest and smiled earnestly. She was very happy to have a piece of her mother with her, even if it was just a necklace.

Hikari returned her gaze to the doors, her determination renewed. She made her way into the courtyard, her head held high and her resolve expressed in her steps, the stone stairs not affecting her zeal. She stopped in front of Hikaru, looking into his worried face, even the guards around him looked worried. Great, was _everyone_ worried about her?

Hikari sighed dejectedly. "Hikaru, I'll be fine. Stop worrying."

"How can you be so sure of that? You've never been off this world before, Hikari. You have no idea what's out there."

"Hikaru, _I _may not know what the other worlds are like, but the Keyblade bearers do. Besides, they started out just as clueless as me, so I'll be perfectly fine."

Hikaru seemed to contemplate this for a moment. "Yeah… you're right…" he finally said, still looking a little unsure.

Hikari leaned over and tilted her head a bit so she could catch Hikaru's down cast eyes. "I'll be _fine._"

Hikaru looked up, and Hikari straightened. Hikaru nodded curtly, smiling optimistically. Hikari walked past him, into the center of the courtyard, tuning around to face him. "Goodbye, Hikaru… be sure to take care of Grandmother."

Hikaru nodded. "I will."

Hikari smiled and turned toward the castle gates, the strong breeze from the lake throwing her long raven hair around. Hikari took a deep breath, preparing herself. She summoned her Keyblade, Divine Light, and aimed it at an empty area of the courtyard. A long, thin beam of blue light shot from the Keyblade's tip and formed a portal of swirling blue, white, and black.

Without looking back, Hikari ran through the portal, letting it close behind her. She was going to defeat Kuragari and the Darklings if it was the last thing she did, and Heaven help whoever got in her way.

Hikari was ready, and destiny was ready to dump all its cruelties.

_**Author's Note**_**: My sister pointed out that this chapter was similar to the book/movie **_**The Princess and the Goblin**_**… which is kinda funny cause I used to love that movie when I was little. Guess I remembered it subconsciously XD**

**Now… reviews, anyone? They're my only paycheck, y'know!**


	2. Destiny Unknown

**Thank****you****to**Wings of Avalon**for****betaing!****You****'****re****awesome.**

_-TG:KoD-_

**Chapter****Two:**

**Destiny****Unknown**

_Light__and__Darkness__are__enigmas.__They__say__that__one__cannot__exist__without__the__other,__and__that__is,__by__all__means,__the__absolute__truth.__It__is__also__true__that__there__must__be__a__balance__kept__between__the__two.__Without__this__balance,__the__worlds__would__be__in__great__disarray,__which__would__spell__destruction__for__the__two__co-existing__realms.__Light__and__Darkness__in__their__natural__forms__pose__no__danger;__the__danger__comes__when__one__abuses__their__power._

_Darkness__is__the__stereotypical__evil__in__the__worlds,__but__I__have__seen__how__it__can__be__just__as__gentle__as__the__Light,__if__used__correctly.__I__have__seen__the__chaos__that__it__is__capable__of__composing,__but__I__stand__by__my__belief__that__Darkness,__in__its__true__nature,__is__no__more__dangerous__than__the__Light.__It__just__has__the__tendency__to__drive__its__wielder__to__insanity__with__the__immense__power__that__it__grants,__as__opposed__to__the__Light,__which__tests__its__potential__wielders__before__it__grants__them__its__power._

_There__is__only__one__being__in__existence__who__can__use__the__power__of__Darkness__to__its__full__extent__and__not__be__consumed__by__it,__and__that__is__the__Embodiment__of__Darkness.__Similarly,__there__is__only__one__being__in__existence__who__can__use__the__power__of__Light__to__its__full__extent__and__not__go__mad__with__power,__and__that__is__the__Embodiment__of__Light._

_Light__and__Darkness__are__eternal__elements,__the__sole__energies__that__keep__the__universe__together._

_Without__them__there__would__be__nothing._

_I__have__come__to__realize__this,__and__I__only__hope__I__can__bring__the__Embodiment__of__Darkness,__Kuragari__Oni__-__my__dear__friend__-__back__from__his__enraged__sorrow,__for__I__fear__that__if__I__do__not__do__so__soon,__the__worlds__will__cease__to__exist._

_Sincerely,_

_The__Embodiment__of__Light,__Raito__Kami._

**_-TG:KoD-_**

Sora lay in his bed, the sheets tangled around him, his brown spiky hair a mess against his pillow. The fifteen year old boy's limbs were spread haphazardly around the mattress. It looked like nothing short of a bomb detonating would wake him up.

Well, it may not have been a bomb, per se, but it was just as effective.

Unbeknownst to Sora, a girl of seventeen years loomed behind him, a mischievous glint in her steely blue eyes. Her angled, rich chocolate hair reached down to her shoulder blades in the back, while the angle made a nice slope starting at her jaw line. Her face was long and shaped like a heart. She had a very slim, lanky, curvy build, and she seemed to be quite sturdy in muscle mass. She wore a black u-neck tank top and the dark blue one under it had the straps slipped off her shoulders, dark jeans which fit her slender form nicely, a black studded belt, and black sneakers with white laces. On her left arm was a fingerless black glove extending to her wrist, and on her right arm was a fingerless black glove extending to her elbow. Around her neck was a black chocker and a silver skull necklace.

She quietly peered at Sora, smirking. She leaned down to see if he was really asleep, and concluding that the boy was completely out of it, she moved to the foot of his bed. Seeing that his left foot was hanging off the bed, she grabbed his exposed ankle and yanked Sora out of his bed, where he landed on the floor with a loud _thump_and a cry of surprise.

She started laughing hysterically.

Sora, still trying to regain his senses, had a very confused look on his face. "The heck was that for, Risa?"

Risa's laughter quelled and she straightened, though she was still smiling widely. "It's almost noon, dimwit. Riku and Kairi are down stairs waiting for you."

Through his barely lucid state, it took Sora a few moments to process this information. "Did you say '_noon'_?" Sora asked incredulously.

"Yes, yes I did, Sora. And you'd better get your lazy butt down there before Riku decides to go Dark Aura on your ass."

Sora just stared at his older sister in numb shock, then he scrambled to his feet, dashing around his room to gather cloths. Risa was laughing as she left his room, giving him privacy.

Sora's thoughts were chaotic, but all within the context of what he, his siblings, and friends had planned for the day.

It had been a month since the struggle with Organization XIII, and during that month the three Keyblade wielders slowly settled back into island life. They didn't have to worry about the safety of the worlds anymore; King Mickey had sent them a letter telling them so. But they still had to keep the world order, which meant they couldn't tell anyone about the outside worlds.

So you can imagine that it came as a shock when the Keybladers learned that four others on their island- Risa, Haru, Amaya, and Kasumi - knew about the other worlds. It was a good thing they were close friends - and in Sora's case, two of them were his siblings, Risa being one of them, Haru the other. They had already assured Sora and Riku that they would keep it a secret. After all, they had known about the other worlds for a whole year and not once had they let their silence slip.

Kairi had already known that they knew, as they had told her about their knowledge the day after the Islands were restored a year ago, but in the chaos of defeating Organization XIII, Kairi hadn't had the chance to tell Sora and Riku, which both boys completely understood.

The four had even told them how they knew, and Sora couldn't help but be shocked by the information he was given.

Apparently, a year ago when the Heartless attacked Destiny Islands- which marked the beginning of Sora's adventure and destiny as the Keyblade Master - Risa had her heart brutally stolen by the Heartless. It fell into darkness, creating her Heartless – which had been a Darkside - as well as her Nobody, Xaris, the Elegant Reaper.

Xaris didn't join the Organization, though Xemnas did try to recruit her. Xaris had refused to join their ranks simply because she wanted to watch over Sora. Sora had to admit that it was strange to think that his elder sister had actually been there with him during his first journey, though she lacked her heart at the time and was lurking in the shadows, completely unnoticed by the boy and his companions.

Risa even told him about the relationship she had with Axel, and Sora had a hard time telling his sister that he was gone, that he had faded into darkness after spending all of his energy on an attack that saved Sora from a swarm of Nobodies. Risa had taken this a bit hard, but she accepted the fact that Axel's demise was inevitable, for it was of his own free will, and he had done it to protect Sora.

Then after Risa composed herself, she told them about how Xaris got her heart back. She said that Xaris followed Sora, Donald, and Goofy to The End Of The World, but she was taken to her Station Of Awakening shortly after arriving on the heartless world. There, she encountered two entities, Hiro and Hideko, who claimed to be the Minds of Kingdom Hearts. They told her that Risa was important to the safety of the worlds, and had called her the 'Guardian of the Key' – no one could figure out what it meant, but they knew that if it was something Kingdom Hearts said, then it was most likely important. After Hiro and Hideko disappeared, Risa's Heartless emerged from the darkness surrounding the Station Of Awakening. Xaris fought the Darkside, won, and recovered her heart. Risa described the process of recombining with her heart as excruciatingly painful.

Also, Xaris hadn't faded into darkness like Nobodies were said to; instead, she was an alternate consciousness in Risa's heart. Sora and Kairi also had their Nobodies as separate consciousnesses in their hearts, so they knew exactly what Risa was talking about. Kasumi and Amaya had been very happy that Xaris wasn't the only Nobody to be spared from fading into darkness, but Roxas and Naminé as well.

Once all the stories were shared, Haru revealed his talent with manipulating a person's aura.

Apparently when he was younger, on a whim, he had taken a day trip to one of the less visited islands in the Destiny Islands. There he had met - as Haru described him - the craziest man in the world. Haru had just barely begun to explore the island when this old man, his body bent and wrinkled with age, jumped out in front of him, seemingly from out of nowhere, and declared that he could sense the power sleeping within Haru and he was willing to help awaken it.

The man never gave Haru his name, and he never asked for Haru's. Haru had found that a bit odd, but he would rather the Crazy Old Guy - as Haru had dubbed him - not known who he was, so he was fine with the informality of their meeting.

Despite the man's obvious insanity, Haru decided to humor the Crazy Old Guy by letting himself be taught how to use this strange 'power' of his. So it came as quite a shock when Haru discovered that he actually _did_have a special type of power, that he could willingly manipulate his own aura into a destructive force. This was a mind-blowing discovery for Haru. After that day, Haru found himself returning to that island whenever he could, always gaining lessons from the Crazy Old Guy, learning how to completely harness the power of his aura. This went on for several years, until the old man just completely disappeared. He did leave Haru a note, though.

In the note, the Crazy Old Guy told Haru that there was nothing else for him to learn, that he had mastered the art of aura manipulation, and so Haru didn't need his guidance anymore. He wished Haru the best of luck in his life, and encouraged him to pass on his knowledge of aura manipulation to whomever he felt had the same talent sleeping within them.

So Haru now used a pair of specially crafted handguns- which he liked to call Fate and Destiny - to focus his aura on. Everyone was quite skeptical of this at first, but they quickly believed him when he showed them his ability, which came in the way of Haru blowing a bolder to smithereens using nothing but his aura. No one had any questions after that.

Sora, finally ready for the day, practically flew down the stairs. Running into his kitchen, he was met with Riku and Kairi's amused faces. The other two Keyblade bearers had glasses of orange juice and half-eaten pieces of toast smothered in butter and sugar in front of them.

"You're actually up? We weren't expecting you for another hour," Riku said.

"Risa woke me up," Sora said, going over to their pantry to get his own breakfast. "Besides, it's noon. I don't want to sleep all day."

Kairi arched her eye brow. "Noon? Sora, it's only eight."

Sora's face was priceless. He turned around, stalking to the stairs. He looked like he was about ready to rip a few Heartless to shreds. "Risa?"

"I lied!" came Risa's amused voice from somewhere upstairs. They could practically hear her smiling through her voice.

At that, Sora dashed up the stairs. Riku and Kairi could hear random banging and yells for a few minutes after. Riku knew how Sora probably felt. He had a little sister, Mei, who was only thirteen, and who seemed to _love_making Riku's life hell. Riku still loved her dearly, though. Kairi was the only one of the three who was an only child…though, biologically, she may have had siblings. Since she had been adopted by the Destiny Islands mayor, who had no children of his own, and Kairi still didn't remember the first five years of her life - except for her name - no one could really be sure if she had any siblings.

Riku and Kairi winced as they heard an exceptionally loud crash, and both looked up at the ceiling as it shook.

"… Riku, think we should stop them before they kill each other?"

Riku shrugged. He knew Sora and Risa wouldn't hurt each other, though the relentless banging and screaming from up stairs would say otherwise. It was just fortunate that their parents - who were completely oblivious and ignorant of the adventures their youngest son and only daughter had experienced -weren't home, in case Sora ended up using the Keyblade, or Risa used her Elegant Reaper. Which that _had_happened before, and it was a close call with getting them to conceal their weapons before their secret was exposed…or before they destroyed the house.

The reason as to why Daisuke and Ai Tenshi- Sora, Risa, and Haru's parents - weren't home was because their jobs required them to get up very early in the morning. Daisuke was a fisherman, and Ai was a nurse, so Ai sometimes had to go to the hospital at unbelievably early hours. Today was just one of those days that Ai had to go into the hospital early, and Daisuke had to get up and be on the sea by the crack of dawn _every_morning.

"C'mon, Kai, you know Risa's all bark and no bite. She wouldn't hurt Sora to save her own life," Riku chuckled, finishing the last of his toast. It was true; Risa was very high-strung, and seemed vicious to people who didn't know her, but to those closest to her, she was just a big teddy bear.

Kairi smiled. Yes, she was very much aware of Risa's strange personality. The older girl was like a sister to Kairi, so she knew Risa probably as well as Sora knew her, maybe even better, seeing as she had had plenty of time to get closer to Risa while Sora and Riku were gone. Risa was probably the only girl Kairi knew who she trusted enough to open up to. Selphie was a loud mouth, so Kairi never told her any secrets for fear that they wouldn't be secret for long, but Risa was so trustworthy that Kairi could tell her things that she had kept bottled up inside her for years. Risa was just the type of person who was easy to talk to and was a good listener, so things seemed to simply spill out when they were having a heart-to-heart.

"Riku…"Kairi folded her arms on top of the table, staring pointedly at Riku.

They winced again as another loud crash echoed throughout the house, followed by Risa loudly yelling "Sora! You get your little pansy ass back here before my spirits rip you to _shreds_!"

Wow. Risa was pissed.

It wasn't like she would actually follow through with her threat - she was too soft. And this was _Sora_; she wouldn't hurt him to save the worlds! And Sora knew this and was using it to his advantage. He was so cruel when it came to bugging his older sister.

Kairi slowly shook her head, taking a bite of her toast.

A second later, they heard the front door open, and someone shuffle into the house.

"I think Haru's here," Riku said, leaning back in his chair.

They weren't surprised. Haru always came over when Mr. and Mrs. Tenshi weren't home to watch Sora and Risa, for obvious reasons. The twenty year old had gotten his own apartment upon turning nineteen, so he couldn't be home immediately to watch his younger siblings, who seemed to take advantage of their parent's absence and go at each other's throats. It was a wonder Haru hadn't knocked their heads together yet.

Quickly swallowing the bite of toast in her mouth, Kairi yelled out to Haru. "Morning, Haru!"

Within seconds, Haru rounded the corner into the kitchen. Haru was tall for a twenty year old man, and his muscles could easily rival Riku's. He had raven black hair, slightly wavy in the back, his bangs spiked in a similar style to Sora's. His jaw was strong and clean-shaven. Haru's eyes were the exact same shade of deep ocean blue as his little brother's, but they seemed harder somehow…or maybe 'guarded' would be a better term. He wore a simple white t-shirt under a short sleeved black leather jacket. His dark jeans were slightly baggy and looked well-worn. On his hand were black leather gloves, and on his feet were dark grey sneakers.

Only sparing Riku and Kairi a curt wave, Haru went right for the coffee maker…he wasn't a morning person.

Haru was a very good person; it was just that he seemed to be very reserved around people. Due of this, most people on the island believed Haru to be cold when he really wasn't. He just wasn't comfortable around people he wasn't close to, so he tended to hide behind a crude mask. It was only when he was alone with his family and friends that his mask lifted, revealing him to be a truly kind, caring, and charming young man. And he was protective of his little brother and sister, that was for sure.

Haru had only managed to get out the coffee grounds before another crash echoed throughout the house. Slamming the container onto the counter, Haru swore. "What the _hell_are those two doing?"

Riku and Kairi shrugged simultaneously, though it was obvious that Haru hadn't been addressing them. They watched in mild humor as Haru stalked to the stairs, no doubt ready to knock some sense into his siblings. Haru's booming steps could be heard ascending the stairs, and Risa and Sora's squabbling abruptly stopped upon hearing it. Yeah, they knew Haru was grumpy and was coming to shut them up; therefore, they had enough sense to quiet themselves.

After listening to the siblings exchange a few words, they came back down into the kitchen, Sora and Risa slumping in their own seats at the table, looking defeated. Haru went back to brewing his coffee, muttering things under his breath about rude kids making mornings more of a hell then they already were.

All the while, Riku and Kairi could only smirk.

**_-TG:_********_KoD-_**

"If they aren't here within the next minute, we're leaving without them."

"You're being impatient."

"They're _fifteen__minutes__late_! I'm sick of waiting, Risa."

Risa looked to Kairi, who shrugged, then turned back to her elder brother. "Oh, just sit down and eat a Paopu, you big numbskull. They'll be here when they get here."

Risa and Kairi were seated on the sand, their bare feet buried in the soft grains. Haru stood next to them, his arms crossed, glaring at the sandy path leading into town, watching for a glimpse of Kasumi and Amaya.

After Sora had eaten, and Haru had finished his coffee, the five islanders had gone to start their day, but they had to wait for Kasumi and Amaya. The two girls were late and it was severely annoying Haru.

Haru scowled and resumed watching Sora and Riku spar with their old wooden swords on the beach.

Destiny Island's beach was a beautiful sight; the sand was a gleaming white under the sun, and the ocean was a deep blue, the sound of the waves gently rolling onto the shore was like a cherished song that all the islanders held close to their hearts. And, only about a mile from the shore was the small island that all the kids loved to play on. None of them could imagine a more beautiful place to call home.

"Hey!"

Upon hearing the call, the five islanders turned toward the path into town, seeing Kasumi and Amaya coming, Amaya waving wildly.

Amaya Hoshino, a short seventeen year old girl, had shoulder length, curly black hair; straight side bangs were pinned on the side of her face, out of the way. Her warm, milky brown eyes were alight with excitement. She wore a white u-neck tank top under a pale blue hoodie, dark jean shorts, the hems frayed, and ratty black sneakers.

Kasumi Ebina, eighteen years old, had long, sandy blond hair tied up in a high pony-tail. Her sea green eyes were sharp, but not at all cold. She wore a white camisole under a black hoodie, skinny jeans tucked into mid-shin high-heeled black boots, and a black studded belt.

"Finally," Haru mumbled under his breath.

As the two neared, Kairi and Risa stood, brushing the sand from their feet and putting their shoes back on. Sora and Riku ended their sparring match, coming to join the others, their age-worn wooded swords hanging by their sides.

"What took you guys?" Sora asked.

Amaya rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I had to bring my dad his lunch. He forgot it again."

Everyone nodded their heads in understanding; they all knew the stress Mr. Hoshino was under. Between two low-paying, time consuming jobs, it was a wonder the man remembered to eat. It was fortunate he had Amaya; otherwise he would've crashed and burned after the death of his wife. Amaya was the only constant, loving thing in his life, and though he rarely got to spend time with her, he doted upon her as much as he could afford.

Kasumi was a different story. Her parents barely knew she existed. They were always drunk or high, never paying her any mind. So, she tended to stay with Amaya - or Risa, when she felt like it. Despite her cold appearance and hard personality, Kasumi was very modest and felt extremely guilty for mooching off her friends so much, but they reassured her by telling her she was like family; therefore, their homes were hers as well.

Haru, the ever impatient one, decided to speak up and get everyone moving. "Okay, it's already ten. Let's cut the chit-chat until we get to the island; then we can do whatever the hell we want." He then strode off towards the docks, leaving his friends and siblings watching his retreating back in amusement.

"Still a bit grumpy, huh, Haru?" Sora called after him, laughing.

"I am not!"

A chorus of laughter could be heard drifting in the soft island wind, becoming lost with the soothing call of birds and the relentless shush of the waves. It truly was a pleasant song that would soon be stolen, hidden away with the cherished memories of the Light.

Possibly to never be heard again.

**_-TG:KoD-_**

Night on Destiny Islands had its own majestically dark beauty, one that was both peaceful and saturated with obscurity. The sky was a smooth black sheet dotted with brightly shining stars, and the ocean was calm, seemingly asleep like a raging beast - fierce and relentless during the day, serene and merciful at night. The constant soft breeze had died down, leaving only dead stillness and utter silence, only interrupted by the soft, whispering ocean waves.

It was so beautiful that Sora, Riku, and Kairi had to wonder why they ever wanted to escape it.

So now, in the company of their friends, they all sat in silence around a fair-sized beach bonfire, relishing the warmth it gave them in the cool night air. Their day had consisted of random sparring matches, swimming, and - for the most part - goofing around like normal kids.

After returning from their adventure, that's all they had wanted- normalcy. And they had gotten it. On the familiar island, filled to the brim with pleasant memories, they could almost forget about the Keyblades and all the trouble they had brought, but they could never forget how the blades had brought them all closer. They were completely inseparable, after everything they had gone through.

They wanted so desperately to forget the overwhelming heat of battle, to just lay there, on the cool sand and watch the stars in blissful ignorance like they had when they were young, but no matter what, they couldn't go back to those simple times. No, they knew what lay beyond their little, peaceful, beautiful world, and that would forever be instilled in their minds, no matter how hard they tried to forget.

But, as people say, destiny is a cruel, cruel thing, never letting anyone live peacefully…and these seven islanders were no exception.

"It's getting late…" muttered Risa, absently watching the ocean.

"So what? It not like there's a storm coming," Kasumi said softly.

"True, but Sora might pass out on us like when he was ten," Haru stated, smirking when his brother lazily threw a stick at his head, which he easily dodged.

"That was five years ago!" Sora countered.

Kairi, from her seat next to Sora, reached up and ruffled his spiky hair. "Yeah, but you're still a hopelessly lazy bum!"

"No, Kai, he's a _dimwitted_lazy bum. There's a difference." Risa smiled widely, laughing at the weak glare Sora sent her. It was obvious he was trying not to smile.

"I am not…"

"Now he's in denial." Riku chuckled.

Sora threw his hands over his head, as if he were surrendering. "What? Is this 'tease Sora day' or something?" Despite Sora's words, and his previous effort not to smile, he ended up with the brightest grin ever, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Uh oh, guys, he figured it out! Our plan just failed," Amaya said with false disappointment, causing everyone to burst into fits of laughter, filling the night with the sweet serenade of happiness - but abruptly cut short when Riku caught sight of a black-haired, white-clad girl watching them.

Immediately jumping to his feet, the others looking up at him in confusion. Riku called out, "Who are you? Are you lost?"

The other six islanders turned to see who Riku was talking to, eyes widening when they saw the girl standing awkwardly next to the little waterfall pool.

The girl was probably about sixteen, and she looked very delicate, like she was a porcelain doll. She certainly looked it - her skin was pale under the star light, and her body looked utterly frail. Her mid-back long hair was a deep, shiny raven black which seemed to have a silvery sheen in the dark light. She had soft, warm, ice blue eyes, and a kind smile. She wore a white halter-top and tan shorts that showed off her long, slender legs, white sneakers, and a shimmering diamond heart necklace. This girl, whoever she was, looked too fragile and pure to be any type of threat to them. Not to mention the fact that Riku couldn't sense _any_trace of darkness in her entire being; this puzzled him greatly.

As if a little unsure of their reaction to her, the girl slowly made her way to them, chewing on her lower lip. Everyone stood, smiling to try and make her more comfortable.

They didn't know their smiles only made her feel guiltier.

Now that she was closer, the islanders could tell there was something extremely pure about her. She seemed to have more light in her than even a Princess of Heart. But how was that possible? The Princesses were supposed to be the purest in all the worlds, so how could this one girl hold more light than them? Even Kairi, the seventh Princess of Heart, felt like this girl's light made hers look pathetically dim.

Just who _was_this girl?

The girl bent her hear toward her feet for a brief moment, seemingly like she was gathering her bearings, then raised her intense, burning ice-blue gaze back on the islanders. She looked positively determined.

"My name is Princess Hikari Akira Kami. I am from the world known as Keepers Kingdom." Her voice was like a sweet-smelling spring gale; strong, but like a beautiful song. "I have come to ask for your help, Keyblade bearers."

Sora- being the too-nice hero that he was - stepped forward with a bright smile. "Whatever you need, leave it to us!"

Everyone nodded, smiling.

Hikari clasped her hand around her diamond necklace, closed her burning-ice eyes and took a deep breath. "You probably won't see your home for a long time, if you leave with me."

Sora cocked his head, wondering what she meant. Then it hit him. He had thought she was having a problem on her world, not all the others. "Don't tell me…"

Hikari nodded solemnly. "Yes. The Darkness is acting again; only this time, the stakes are much higher."

"How so?"

"…Kingdom Hearts has been stolen by the Embodiment of Darkness."

**Author****'****s****Note****:**** … ****Do****you****people****have****any**_**idea**___**how****much****I****hate****this****chapter?****It****'****s****so****damn****choppy****and****uninteresting****… ****I****could****rant****and****rave****on****how****terrible****this****chapter****is,****but****at****least****I****did****get****the****information****I****wanted****in****… ****and****it****really****seems****like****my****OCs****took****this****chapter****over.****Sorry****… ****I****really****did****try****to****tone****them****down,****but****they****'****re****hard****to****control****… ****I****re-wrote****this****I-don****'****t-know-how-many****times,****and****I****'****m****still****not****happy****with****it,****but****I****am****freaking**_**sick**___**of****it.****So****here****you****go.**


	3. States of Matter

**Author's Note: This chapter made me mad. I hate it more than last chapter –_ way_ more. And now that I look back, last chapter was actually pretty good… But this one is bad 'cause explanation chapters are really hard to write for me… Especially if they're this close to the beginning. **

**But the stuff in here is important. So read. Now. Thanks! **

**And thank you to **_Wings of Avalon_** for the awesome beta!**

_-TG:KoD-_

**Chapter Three:**

**States of Matter**

It was dark and cold; and Leon could practically feel the hopelessness, and hate, and rage the invading darkness emitted – it was so potent, so _powerful_, that Leon worried for his heart's safety in the midst of it. Only mere hours ago, Radiant Garden had been full of light, peaceful. But then, like something from a horrible nightmare, a giant creature teeming with dark energy attacked, throwing the Garden into turmoil worse than when it had been overrun by Heartless eleven years ago.

How was it _possible _for such malevolent darkness to exist?

When it had appeared, near the Villain's Vale, an unbelievably powerful torrent of thick, oily darkness spread across the Radiant Garden – the evil creature seeming to be the epicenter of it. Then, Heartless emerged, almost like they'd been summoned by the black fog itself, manifested by it, and there was no end to them.

The only thing that kept Leon from completely panicking was the knowledge that their Keyhole was securely locked, the world's heart safe from their prying claws – well, it was protected from the Heartless at least. Leon hadn't the slightest clue as to what this new dark creature was capable of, or even what it wanted.

But there was one thing he did know: this creature was going to destroy his home if they didn't do anything to stop it soon.

Leon _refused_ to lose Radiant Garden to the darkness again, not after just getting it back.

Slashing his Gunblade at an approaching Neo-shadow, he instantly destroyed it, leaving behind only a swirling black, smoke-like darkness. Leon quickly returned his attention to the giant creature, still cloaked in the swarming shadows covering the world. Looming menacingly over the Great Maw, its evil red eyes glowed, burning with so much hate and rage that Leon could practically feel it worming its way into his very heart and soul – and Leon was suddenly struck with the fear that those eyes could rip him to shreds with just their look.

"Squall!"

Leon didn't even bother correcting Yuffie. The entire Restoration Committee's nerves were on high, all of them trying their best to protect the Radiant Garden from this new dark being. Insisting to be called 'Leon' was not even remotely important.

Hefting his Gunblade over his shoulder, Leon regarded the young kunoichi with serious, battle-weary, stormy blue eyes.

Kicking aside the rubble of the Maw's broken cliffs, Yuffie skidded to a stop, her shuriken hanging loosely from her fingers, ready to be thrown at any given moment. "Heartless! In town! Cid's Claymore's can't handle all of them!"

From the way Yuffie was obviously avoiding looking toward the Villain's Vale, where that evil creature loomed, Leon knew she could feel it's cruel, painful, hypnotizing gaze, too.

"Can't he increase their power?" Leon asked, feeling a shock of fear pierce his exhausted heart. The town's people were in danger…

Yuffie vigorously shook her head. "They're already at their strongest setting!" she yelled.

Clenching his fist tightly on the grip of his Gunblade, Leon cursed, stealing a glance at the swarm of Heartless choking the Maw – Yuffie could handle these, no problem. It was in town, where innocent and vulnerable civilians needed immediate and unyielding protection that was their main concern, where they needed all the power they could spare.

He'd just have to be the one to supply that power.

"Yuffie, you hold them back from here. I'll go help protect the town."

"Right!" Immediately accepting her new position, the kunoichi sprinted into the swarms of Heartless, her shuriken destroying multiple Heartless at a time. She would be fine…Yuffie wouldn't let herself fall to the darkness.

With one last look at his friend's fighting back, Leon turned to return to the town, through the Crystal Fissure, but –

His path was blocked by a Darkside, rearing its massive arm up.

Leon was barely able to avoid being crushed by it before it crashed its dark, spindly fingers to the rocky ground. The land broke apart, and splitting with the impact and clouding the area with dust. Sharp shards of stone flew through the air, striking some of the smaller Heartless.

Yuffie, having heard the crash and felt the resulting tremor, tore her attention from the Heartless, wanting to check on her friend – to make sure he was still with her. Her ninja-trained eyes scrutinized the dust cloud, trying to find Leon within it.

If he was hurt, or…

When Leon didn't answer for several moments, fear gripped Yuffie's heart. "Squall!"

Yuffie slashed her shuriken at the surrounding Heartless, charging through the resulting black smoke toward the thick cloud of dust still shrouding her friend's fate.

"_Squall_! Answer me, damn it!"

Slashing more Heartless, clearing a narrow path, Yuffie dashed into the cloud of dust, frantically keeping her sharp senses open for any sign of Leon. The dust was so thick she could barely see anything – and the current darkness of the world only further hindered her ability to see.

She whipped her head back and forth, trying to hear something – _anything_!

Holding her breath, ignoring her loudly beating heart and the scratching and scuttling of the Heartless, Yuffie strained her ears to hear something human, something that would lead her to Leon…

Then a yell, and the sound of a sword slicing smoothly through the rough, black flesh of a giant Heartless – most likely the Darkside – then, not too long after, another tremor rocked the Maw as something massive crashed to the ground.

A smile spread to Yuffie's exhausted face. Leon was oaky, and he had defeated the Darkside! "Squall!" She sprinted to where she had heard the yell come from.

As she got closer, she could hear the harsh breathing of Leon and see his dark silhouette, so she immediately ran to his side. He was barely sitting up, holding his side with one hand while his other loosely held his Gunblade, and he was breathing very hard. She still couldn't see well in the darkness and dust, though it was nearly settled now, but she could tell that Leon was in pain – wounded, no doubt.

Lightly touching his shoulder, she was careful not to unnecessarily jostle him; because she had no idea where he was hurt and she didn't want to cause him any unneeded pain. "Squall, where are you hurt?"

Grunting, Leon nodded his head at his side, where his arm was tightly clutching it.

Yuffie bit her lip, seeing the blood that oozed through Leon's tightly clenched fingers. "Let me see." She lightly pried Leon's had from his wound, leaning down to get a better view of the injury.

Yuffie had to resist hissing in alarm.

A sizeable shard of rock had lodged itself into Leon's torso. There was really no way for Yuffie to know how deeply it was stuck in Leon, but it was definitely not shallow. She knew better than to try to pull it out without any medical back-up; right now, the very thing that was causing Leon pain was the only thing keeping him from bleeding out completely.

Determination to save her friend settling in, Yuffie moved her body parallel to Leon's, slinging his arm over her shoulder and wrapping her arm around his waist to support him. Leon was bigger than her, but she was by no means weak, so Yuffie was confidant she could effectively carry him from danger.

"Okay, Squall, we're going to stand now. Think you can do that?"

Groaning, Leon nodded, and with what looked like great difficulty, Leon stood on his shaky legs. Yuffie did the best she could to support his injured, pain-riddled body. Once she had a good grip on Leon, Yuffie turned her attention back to the area around her, seeing that the dust cloud had completely settled…

…Which meant the Heartless could see them perfectly now too, and were barreling toward them, their ugly black claws ready to rip out their defenseless hearts.

"_Shit_!" Yuffie screamed shrilly. Sheer, utter panic stabbed at her heart. She desperately dragged Leon as fast as she could without hurting him. They had to get back to the town _now_, or they were both doomed.

_**-TG:KoD-**_

All anyone could do was stare, wide-eyed and mouths agape, at Hikari, who fidgeted under the islander's piercing gaze and uncomfortably chewed her bottom lip, wrapping her thin arms around herself. Lord, if she had felt guilty before, she certainly did now. The silence was deafening, and she could only imagine the emotions that must be flooding the seven islanders.

Hikari felt horrible for destroying their peace – however, in a cruel mix of irony and destiny, they were the only ones who could possibly restore it.

Just when the silence was about to become unbearable, Risa recovered from her own stupor, and voiced the question all the islanders wanted answered. "What do you mean Kingdom Hearts was _stolen_? How the _hell_ is that even _possible_?"

"Well…I guess saying that Kingdom Hearts itself was stolen would be quite a stretch…" Hikari paused, trying to word her answer. "It's…more like a door to Kingdom Hearts was stolen."

"Huh?"

Again, Hikari sighed. Apparently they didn't know that a door to Kingdom Hearts had been stolen from its rightful place – from Keeper's Kingdom – and held in the Realm of Darkness while Xehanort's Heartless was running amok. She'd just have to explain it to them in the simplest terms possible.

"You are aware that Kingdom Hearts is the source of all power in the universe, correct? That power is concentrated in its own realm – the Realm of Kingdom Hearts – and there are two doors that are directly connected to that realm: the 'Lumine' and the 'Nigrae'. It was the Lumine - the one leading to the light of Kingdom Hearts - that was stolen from my home world, Keepers Kingdom, which had been the door's domain for thousands of years. The Nigrae is the door to the darkness of Kingdom Hearts."

"What about the Nigrae, then? If it's the one that leads to darkness, why didn't this Embodiment of Darkness take it, too?" Riku asked, crossing his arms.

Hikari clutched at her mother's necklace – a habit she had developed quite quickly. "That's because the Nigrae doesn't reside in Keepers Kingdom, and I don't know where it is. No one does... it's been missing for one thousand years."

Sora, Riku, and Kairi exchanged frightened glances. Risa's eyes widened and Haru crossed his arms, gritting his teeth slightly. Kasumi hugged herself uneasily, while Amaya bit her lip – they all understood how serious that was. It was unsettling that something so sinister was somewhere out in the universe – unprotected, vulnerable, and therefore easy for any power-crazed villain to gain access to and unleash untold darkness upon countless helpless worlds.

How could such an important power vanish for such a long time?

The Keybladers had a feeling that the darkness this Nigrae had within it was many, many times more powerful, destructive, and malevolent than the darkness in the Realm of Darkness – so, they were scared of it.

"Do you have any idea where it could be?" Kairi prodded.

"No. None." Hikari shook her head, but then perked up as she seemed to realize something. "Well, actually, its home world disappeared, not the door itself, so I am fairly certain that the Nigrae is still located on its world. We find the missing world, and we find the Nigrae."

"How can anyone find one world – one _lost_ world – among the countless others in the universe? That's insane!" Haru blurt out, looking truly awe-struck.

"You're correct. It is impossible," Hikari said, rather bluntly, but seeing the horror-struck islanders, she quickly assuaged their fears. "But I believe it to be safe, for now, so we must only worry about the location of the Lumine, for if anything were to happen to that door, the Realm of Light would be in certain danger."

The islanders moaned, most likely already stressed by the weight of this threat. Risa fell to the sand with a huff, picking up a stick to poke at the dying fire with. "If that's the case, then I guess we should find this Embodiment of Darkness first, since he's the one who took it."

Riku glanced at the dark sky, seeming to mull something over before he spoke. "You've mentioned the Embodiment of Darkness a few times, but we don't know anything about him. Could you explain?"

Nodding once, Hikari took a breath. "You all know that Light and Darkness must be kept balanced, or everything will be destroyed, right?" She didn't wait for them to answer. "Well, there are two beings that help keep this balance – the Embodiment of Light and the Embodiment of Darkness. The Embodiment of Darkness, Kuragari, hasn't been free for one thousand years, since the time he went insane and used darkness to destroy. Because of this, he was imprisoned inside Kingdom Hearts, along with his minions, the Darklings – I'll get to them later.

"The Embodiment of Light kept on living in the Realm of Light, in freedom, while the Embodiment of Darkness existed in Kingdom Hearts. Usually, once an Embodiment dies a new one is born, which this happened with the Embodiment of Light many times, because their lifespan is that of a regular human's, but the Embodiment of Darkness was never reborn because he was technically still alive, frozen in time in Kingdom Hearts."

"So this guy's a thousand years old?" Sora asked.

"Yes," Hikari answered.

"Whoa."

"Indeed."

"What is he after?"

Hikari's thin eyebrows knitted together, making her look deep in thought. "I don't know for sure. All I know is that he wants revenge – but I can't think of what for!" Hikari was still very distressed by this, but she didn't let it show.

"He wants revenge on the light?" Haru inquired.

"Most likely. But I don't know why, unless it's because it was the light that imprisoned him, which is a completely ridiculous reason in itself."

"He's insane, then?"

"Very."

"Well that's wonderful…"

Hikari frowned, silently agreeing with Haru. Indeed, a psychotic Embodiment of Darkness was extremely dangerous to have loose, and the added Darklings were just asking for disaster, which reminded her... "And Kuragari's the one commanding the Darklings."

"Darklings? Are they like the Heartless and Nobodies?" Amaya asked, sounding excited, despite the heavy feelings in the air. She was interested in the Heartless and Nobodies – she had always been the type that loved to observe things that were different, and having never seen a Heartless or Nobody, she was very curious about them. It seemed that now she could add the Darklings to the list.

At first, Hikari seemed taken aback by Amaya's enthusiasm toward such dark beings, but she could see that Amaya was not intent on pursuing them, so she relaxed, answering Amaya's question. "No, they are not like the Heartless or Nobodies. They are beings completely of their own."

"How so?"

"They're the original demons - demons from the furthest reaches of the Realm of Darkness. The Darklings are where the stories of demonic creatures originated from…"

The Islander's exchanged glances, uneasy about these so-called 'demons.'

"How much of a threat are they?" Sora asked.

"They are a serious threat." Smoothing some loose strands of her raven hair from her face, Hikari looked Sora right in his eyes, instilling in him how utterly serious she was. "They attack the souls of worlds and drag the entire world into the Realm of Darkness, where the worlds are unable to withstand the darkness and become barren wastelands, and there is no way of saving them. So many worlds had this fate before the Darklings were imprisoned, and I fear many more will fall to them again. So we have to seal the souls of the worlds so they are inaccessible to the Darklings."

Sora nodded, determined to protect the worlds from such a fate. "How do we seal the souls?"

"The same way you lock a world's heart - through the Keyhole. But this requires more effort, because you must find the soul beneath the heart."

"…And how do I do that?"

"Really, you just concentrate on the heart, and dig deeply through it to find the soul. But be careful." Hikari's voice took on a gravely serious tone. "Any mistakes, and you could end up throwing the world's heart into disarray…I don't think I have to tell you what'll happen if you do."

Sora groaned in exasperation, slouching forward. Riku and Kairi put encouraging hands on their friends' back, smiling faintly, understanding the burden Sora was carrying.

Kasumi, who had been quiet all throughout the explanation, was the one who spoke for everyone. "Well…you guys sure have your work cut out for you. Good luck with that."

Sora grimaced, silently agreeing with Kasumi. The way things sounded, how this old darkness was many times stronger than any they'd fought before, they certainly needed to be strong – the fate of the Light depended on their strength. Which was why, Sora thought, they would need the Embodiment of Light.

"What about the Embodiment of Light? Can they help us with this?"

Hikari's eyes widened in surprise, also seeming a bit confused, but then Hikari smiled a little awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head in what could have been embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you."

The islanders perked up at this.

"Forgot to tell us what?" Kairi asked, almost hesitantly.

Hikari took a more proper position, straightening her posture to look more formal – which was completely thrown-off due to her casual attire. She smiled politely.

"I am the current Embodiment of Light."

Everyone just stared at Hikari for a few awkward moments, in which Hikari tried to keep her up-right posture to not show how embarrassed she was.

Sora smiled, relaxing now that he knew they already had an essential ally with them. Plus, it would definitely explain why Hikari seemed to carry such a vast amount of Light – everyone could feel the power within her.

Kairi had a beaming smile, which made Hikari feel more welcome. Kairi was a Princess of Heart - meaning she had a heart with no darkness what-so-ever, and she was connected to the Keyholes of the worlds – so she could relate to Hikari in a way that none of the others could.

One maiden of light understood the other – that was how Kairi saw it, though Hikari's light was on an immeasurably more powerful level than hers, so...

…it was almost intimidating.

"Oh!" Kairi jerked a little at Hikari's sudden exclamation. "There's something else I forgot to mention."

Everyone looked at her attentively, wordlessly telling her to continue.

"Everything I've just told you, it all started because of the Keyblade War."

"Wait a second!" Sora yelled. "You're saying there was a _war _involving Keyblades? How did that happen?"

Hikari opened her mouth to answer, but her words died before they were spoken, and she looked troubled. "Honestly… the only things we know about the Keyblade War was that it was started by Kuragari. The Keybladers of Light and Darkness combated against each other for the X-blade so they could reach the power beyond Kingdom Hearts, and it ended soon after Kuragari and the Darklings were sealed away. We do know that all the worlds were once one, but at the conclusion of the final battle, darkness covered everything; and the world was torn apart, forming all the existing worlds today. And we know that, sometime after, the darkness was pushed back by the surviving light in the hearts of children. Everything else about the war is a complete mystery."

…That last part was almost exactly like her Grandmother's story, Kairi realized. Was it possible that it was a remaining memory from the Keyblade War? Looking at Sora, Kairi could tell he was thinking the same thing.

"Seriously?" Risa looked at Hikari skeptically. "You don't know anything about it?"

Hikari shook her head. "No. Most of our records about the Keyblade War were lost while darkness covered everything, so we have very little knowledge of it."

"Great…" Risa muttered as she stood up, brushing the sand from her pants. "Well, better get started. We don't want this Kuragari guy to have any more of a head start than he already does."

Sora nodded, agreeing with his sister. "First, we should go to Disney Castle. I think the King'll wanna know about this."

"Right." Riku said, looking toward the mainland. "We should pack things we may need before we go, though. Who knows when we'll be back this time."

Everyone in complete agreement with Riku, they took off toward their boats. Hikari stayed behind, telling them to return there when they were ready to leave.

The Embodiment of Light watched with guilt-stricken ice colored eyes as the Keyblade bearers and their friends left, feeling her pure heart clench.

The soft island wind ran its cool fingers through her silky black hair, pulling the strands where it wished them to go. It was like Fate, which calls one's wandering footsteps to the direction it wants them to go.

_The wind is the guiding voice of one's fate_, is what her grandmother had told her so many times. And Hikari could only hope their guiding wind was gentle and calm – not harsh and rapid.

But, still…

Hikari felt like she was leading these innocent people right to their graves.

**Author's Note: _DAMN!_ This is long! **

… **Hikari seems to forget to mention a lot of things, huh?**

**Anyway, review, please! I'll never get better unless you guys tell me what to work on, you know!**


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